The sound of Like I Love You by Brett Young pulls me out of sleep. With a groan, I reach over to silence my iPhone. I shift slightly in bed and glare at my clock.
6:00AM
This is bullshit.
It's the first day of school.
I told my Dad that I refused to spend any more time in Daniel's bedroom because we're no longer friends.
He got the key to the house two days later and he told me very bluntly that he's not paying for a hotel when I'm not trying to fix things.
On the last night of me there, Beatrice's brilliant idea to make us work it out was to lock us in the closet.
I proceeded to sit on the wall so he couldn't see my phone screen and I watched The Office until Danny told his Mom he was going to puke so she would let him out.
He went straight to his room and I went to shower and then back outside.
On the first day it was raining and my Dad refused to give me the keys to his truck so I could sit inside.
Instead, I crawled under his truck and laid down.
I haven't said a single word to him.
It's been two and a half weeks.
He's texted, called, and FaceTimed me so many times I lost count, but I couldn't care less.
He cut me off. He doesn't get to decide we're friends again without an apology.
I know I'm being a child but I guess I'm just hurt that he got so mad that he was willing to end our friendship.
I would never do that.
I flop out of bed and walk into my bathroom. I strip down and get into the shower, shutting my eyes and letting the warm water wash over me.
I grab my herbal essence shampoo and wash my hair. I use the matching conditioner and wash my body, shave, and wash my body again.
Once I'm out of the shower, I put my makeup on quickly and curl my hair.
If I'm going to a new school, I could at least try.
The people at my old school...most of them knew me since kindergarten, and they knew Danny.
They remembered when he left, and they saw the changes in me when things got bad.
The friends I had and the acquaintances I had vanished. They stopped waving to me in the halls, nobody tried to help me on projects, and I lost everyone.
Amber was the one person willing to take a chance on me because she was one of the only people that didn't start out at my school.
Once I look good, I walk into my bedroom and grab my clothes that I laid out.
I pull on a pair of ripped black skinny jeans and a maroon crop top that has a music note with the zig zag lines of a heart monitor. My jeans are high waisted so my midriff is covered. I put on black no show socks and white converse. I have a white and navy blue plaid button down as a jacket. I grab my backpack and my wallet, walking into the kitchen.
My Dad started work about a week after we got here. It's a little early for him to be awake.
"Good morning kiddo."
"Morning." I say, kissing his cheek.
I grab the fruit loops and pour them into a bowl, followed by milk. I get a spoon and put everything back, and then sit next to him at the bar.
Normally right now I would send streaks but the only person I have a streak with is Daniel and I'm not talking to him.
We haven't lost the streak yet but once a day Snapchat kicks me out and I get an email that somebody in Daytona Beach is signing into my Snapchat.
"Listen kiddo, how much do you have saved for a car?"
"Seven thousand." I say, filling my mouth with fruit loops.
"I'll give you half on Friday and we're going car shopping. Feel free to bring Danny."
"I'm not friends with him anymore."
Just saying that makes me want to cry.
I tell myself I'm fine and I tell my Dad I'm fine but I'm not fine.
I shake my head at the insanity of the situation.
My Dad rolls his eyes at his coffee and neither one of us says anything else.
"Also, you need to find a job."
"I know."
"We can buy the car Gracelyn, but I'm not insuring it until you're employed. I'm not paying your gas, and we can split the insurance."
"Alright."
It's already 6:45 so I hurry and finish my breakfast and then I go brush my teeth and pee and wash my hands. I go get my bags and Dad grabs his keys and follows me out the door.
We drive in silence until we pull into the parking lot.
"You know Gracelyn, if you talk to Danny, I'm sure finding your classes will be much easier."
"Danny and I aren't friends." I say.
"I don't condone this and neither do Beatrice and Caleb."
I shrug.
We came here about a week ago so I could get my locker and my schedule and the campus map, but instead of looking like a loser, I took a picture of the map and my schedule with my phone because Danny told me his school doesn't really care about phones.
That was before we weren't friends.
I unbuckle my seatbelt.
Have a good day at school." Dad says. "I love you."
"Love you too."
I get out of the car and shut the door.
But as I reach the sidewalk, he rolls down his window.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that Caleb and Beatrice are picking you up until you can drive yourself!"
With that, he puts the car in reverse.
I glare after him until he's out of sight, and then I turn around.
Students are filing after me and I see I'm dressed perfectly. I fit in.
I walk in the same direction as everyone else until I reach a set of double doors that lead to the cafeteria, which is full of students.
Everyone is seated or standing, running to greet their friends or being rowdy jocks.
I roll my eyes at the ground and move out of the way and pull out my phone.
Danny: where are you?
I want to answer him but I'm super stubborn, so I delete the message and start figuring out where my classes are.
According to this map, my first period art class is upstairs.
AP 2-D Art.
I start scrolling through my instagram and then go into Snapchat and see I've been kicked out again.
I sign back in and allow my eyes to roam the cafeteria.
I pause on my best friend standing and talking to Crystal, and I feel something burning in my chest.
Jealously.
It's not the reason most people would think, either.
I'm not jealous because she's dating him.
I'm jealous because they're talking. I bet they talk every day.
I just...I can't support him when he's with her. Their relationship is a ticking time bomb, and I know he knows it.
I see Danny start to turn his head in my direction so I look down at my phone.
I notice a presence standing next to me and I turn my head, coming face to face with Miley, who is also glaring towards Danny and Crystal.
"He's a fucking idiot." She snaps. "Who is that stupid?
I hesitate.
"Yeah, I know."
"Personally, I don't think Crystal is that hot." A male voice says next to me. I turn my head to see Kyle. "Her boobs are kind of small and her ass-"
"That bitch wears the underwear with the butt pads. I'm convinced." Miley mutters. "You know he's not sitting with us at lunch?"
"She's changing him and I don't like it." Kyle cuts in. "I mean, he's not even friends with you anymore...and she's pregnant."
*****
Get ready...things are about to get really juicy :)
~Sam